Rise of the Silver Guardians Re-Do
by PetrousFic
Summary: Ash is betrayed by those he loved, and turns to his pokemon and new friends. Now Phoenix and Jack have appeared to compete in a memorial tournament for the "dead" Pallet native.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1:_

The pair ran like the wind, whipping through the long-abandoned halls like hell. The ground fell away behind them, nipping at their heels. The satchel being carried by one slapped and thumped against his back. They rocketed up the stairs, and tumbled up into the glaring sun. As they did, the heavy stone block of a door slammed shut, closing off the shrine for as long as it stood. They lay, panting, in the intense Hoenn summer heat. Then, from one, donned in a red cloak, with two swords, black leather armor, and knives, a chuckle arose. The second, in an ice blue cloak with similar gear, followed suit. The chuckles escalated slowly, until the grown men were reduced to rolling, cackling children. Finally, the red one rolled over, taking deep breaths.

"Ha ha ha ha… Hee, ho… Hmph." He cleared his throat, and the blue one followed suit, slightly embarrassed.

"Right, right. Brooding. Dark. Dangerous. Okay…" In a matter of seconds, the faces morphed into stone, set in straight lines. The red figure then spoke, all humor gone from his face and voice.

"Let's get this tablet back to the Professor." The blue nodded. They simultaneously tossed their pokéballs in the air, and the ensuing roars shook the very earth.

_~lnoOonl~_

"And the final Disarming Voice finishes the match! May is again victorious and stunning at the same time!" The crowd politely clapped, cheered wildly, or, in some cases, proclaimed unwavering love for the successful contestant. She waved shyly at the crowd, and returned her Delcatty. Her opponent grudgingly returned his Jigglypuff, and May graciously accepted her ribbon. She exited from the newly constructed Contest Hall in Pallet Town, and walked back to Professor Oak's lab. There, she was greeted by her friends, save one.

"May! Great job there, sis!" The green haired boy was excited. May smiled widely.

"Thanks Maxy!" A larger man, tan and squinty-eyed, patted her shoulder.

"Max is right! That was a pretty elegant move you pulled up there! I loved that thing to did with Fake-Out!" May laughed at Brock's antics.

"That thing? Brock, I've been working on it for months now. Surely you remember?" Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. May blushed slightly. "Is, um, is Gary here yet?" Brock smiled sadly but knowingly.

"Sorry, he said that something came up at his job. Why, are you… expecting something?" May blushed and smiled.

"Maybe…" Max crinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out.

"Eww, that's nasty May!" May laughed, then looked around the room as if remembering something.

"Wait, where's Professor Oak?" Brock pointed over his shoulder, towards the back of the lab, behind some tall bookshelves.

"In the back. Waiting for some 'Special Order' he says he made. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we came back." With that, the trio walked back, towards the bead drapings that separated the lab from the front area. As they did, however, the professor himself pushed through towards them, pulling out his PokéNav as he did. he was muttering feverishly under his breath. He stopped suddenly, and gave a strained smile.

"May, Brock, Max! I wasn't expecting you this early! I... Um… I have to… Have to…" The professor stumbled over his usually fluent speech, sweat forming on his brow. Brock looked concerned.

"Professor? Is everything alright?" The professor looked at his watch, which only seemed to agitate him more.

"Fine, fine! I just have to receive this package before-" As he told his excuse, the group heard the door swing open. The lights flickered and dimmed, and one set of footsteps filled the quiet space. The heads swivelled towards the doors, and the pair that had walked into the lab, so utterly in-synch that only one set of feet could be heard. One was wearing a red cloak, the other a blue, and their appearance managed to push Professor Oak over the edge, into full-blown shakes and sweating. "Ah, hello Jack and…" Professor Oak paused momentarily. May stepped forward, and extended her hand to the men.

"Hello Jack and…" May paused as well, prompting someone to inform her of the strangers' names. The men just stared ahead, one holding a satchel by the strap. Professor Oak intervened, patting both men on the shoulder, his agitation seemingly dissipated..

"Jack and Phoenix. Now, these fine gentlemen have delivered something that is key to my research on pokémon evolution. You three can head to Ms. Ketchum's, as she has graciously offered to cook dinner. Jack, Phoenix and I will meet you over there in a little bit." May reeled backwards.

"Wait. Forgive me asking, but why are they coming?" The mysterious figures broke their synched movements for the first time with the red one, Phoenix, clenching his fists. May noticed. "Sorry if I offended you." For the first time, Phoenix spoke.

"Yeah, it did Princess. I just want to drop off the package and begone. Unfortunately for you and I, Jack and Samuel insisted I stay." May clenched her fists.

"Whaddya mean, 'Princess?'" The red figure looked unfazed, other than his white knuckles.

"Are you not the Princess of Hoenn?" May unclenched her fists, but the fire in her eyes remained.

"Oh…" Brock stepped forward in an attempt to defuse the loaded air.

"Well, let's go then." Jack stepped forward and handed the satchel to Phoenix.

"I'll go with you guys." Brock looked wary, but nodded nonetheless. Max nodded, blissfully unaware of the tension in the room.

"Okay, I'll meet you guys there." With that, Max sprinted from the room, towards the Ketchum residence. Brock, May, and finally, Jack left the room. Oak looked like he had put something heavy down, while Phoenix looked like that thing had been the world. He swept his hood back, and his unruly, spiky hair bounced forward, now much longer then when he had last been in Pallet. His brown eyes looked haunted and dead, but shone with happiness at seeing his old friend Samuel Oak.

"Hey Professor. How's it been?" Oak smiled.

"Well, Ash. As I assume it has been for you?"

_~lnoOonl~_

May walked in front of the group. Max had already reached the Ketchum residence's front door. Brock turned quietly, and looked at Jack.

"Hey buddy, why don't we take a break for a second." His tone left little wiggle room, and Jack didn't respond, other from stopping his already-silent walk. May also reached the front door, and Brock looked at the shadow where Jack's face should've been. "Listen to me, and you listen good, okay?" Jack didn't respond, and the silver light of the moon seemed to glisten and bounce off his cloak. Brock continued. "I don't know what it is, but there's something real creepy about you. And you're making Professor Oak really fidgety, which isn't a good sign. If you so much as twitch in a way I don't like, I'll-"

"You'll what Brock? Set you Geodude on me? What about that Onix? And after you do, what will happen to your many many siblings? I suspect that they all might meet their end a bit… Earlier than average. What makes you think I can't kill everyone at this dinner?" Brock's mouth ran dry, and he gaped for air due to his throat, which was closing from fear. Jack threw his hood off, and, instead of a face, there was a skull, grinning back at Brock. He tried to scream, but Jack's bony hands clamped around his throat. "How about I start with you? How does that sound to you? Just say something If you don't like that. Come on Brock. That tough guy act isn't holding up, is it?" Brock tried to breathe, to scream, to do anything. Then, the hand fell back to Jack's side, and his flesh melted back into place. He was handsome, with high cheekbones, pale blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. He smiled, as Brock stumbled backwards, gasping for air. "Just one of my many tricks." Brock sprinted into the warm glow of the lights. Jack followed after, stepping into the light.

_~lnoOonl~_

**Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is the re-do of Silver Guardians, so tell me what you think, give me suggestions. That's right, I'm looking at you! Review, even if it's as guest. It really helps me write better and make better stories.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2:_

Utensils clinked together in contrast to the sporadic silence. Jack, and Professor Oak talked about "business," Phoenix and Max had struck up a conversation about their training regimen, but Delia Ketchum, May and Brock were silent.

"No, I think that your pokémon can and should be much more capable than you. There isn't really a reason for me to be able to pick up solid steel girders, is there?" Max retorted more intensely than was necessary. Phoenix had the perfect retort.

"But wouldn't that look good on your resumé!" Then, the lights in the room all flickered and the chandelier swayed. Jack sat bolt-upright, and Oak fell silent, staring intently at Phoenix. Phoenix placed both palms on the table and stood up, eyes still trained on Max, like a bird watches a mouse. A cunning smile tugged at his faintly-illuminated mouth. "Aren't you concerned about your future?" May and Delia paled, while Brock swallowed loudly. Max only looked confused.

"Whaddya mean? That's why I want to become the strongest." Max looked around, eyes asking for answers. Phoenix laughed slowly. It was a menacing sound, more like a wavering growl than anything.

"Oh, has nobody told you this story?" Max shook his head. Phoenix sat again, and the lights fell dimmer again.

"I can feel it. In this place's Aura. So deeply ingrained that I could sense it before I got here. The sorrow. The regret. The longing for… Someone. And a space. A rift. This place is hollow. Missing a spirit. So intense that it's a part of you. Or perhaps you're the reason. I know something is… Gone. A room upstairs sits unused. Pokémon wait for a master that you know will never return. What is it that you all lost? It's killing me." Everyone, save Oak and Jack, sat slack-jawed. Phoenix waited, leaning over the table, the silence so intense that it weighed on everyone's minds. Finally, May broke the silence by bursting into tears and running from the house. Phoenix waited some more, before clapping his hands loudly. Jack stood up. "Well, this was great, the food exquisite, and the conversation sparkling, but I have a job to report on, and Jack and I really must be going." With that, Phoenix strode from the house as well, and Jack hurried after him.

_~lnoOonl~_

"What the hell was that?" Jack yelled once they were a fair distance from the house. Phoenix only looked at him sidelong.

"They deserve to suffer as I have suffered." Jack blew air through his teeth, making a hissing sound, hands clenched into fists.

"This is about Natalia, isn't it?" Phoenix didn't respond. Jack continued. "That wasn't their fault, and you know it!" Phoenix whirled to look at Jack.

"I would never have suffered like that if they hadn't betrayed me!" Jack grabbed two fist-fulls of Phoenix's shirt.

"And yet they did." The temperature dropped, and Jack's eyes flared in white-blue light. His grip grew icy cold. His voice was small, but it caused chills to run down Phoenix's spine. "And that's why you met me. Or did you forget?" Phoenix grew mad then. His own Aura flared up. The temperature rose beyond its original point, and clouds formed over head, blocking out the moon. The wind blew in a funnel around them.

"I do remember. I also remember the two years I spent _before_ meeting you! Because whether or not you believe it, I existed before you met me!" Thunder rumbled overhead, and lightning flashed. Their anger rose and rose until they heard a shout.

"Hey!" They both turned, angers quelled temporarily. Officer Jenny pushed through the wind towards them. Jack released his grasp on Phoenix, and officer Jenny finally reached them.

"Are you causing this storm?" Jack and Phoenix simply stared, their Aura receded. They both remained motionless. Jenny looked back and forth, temper rising. "Well?" Jack and Phoenix still stared, eyes betraying nothing. Finally, Jenny grabbed her handcuffs, fire and determination in her eyes. "That's it! I'm taking you two in." Then, Jenny received her first response from the two men. That was a bullet punch from Phoenix in between her eyes. The last thing she saw was the small scar on Phoenix's left middle finger.

_~lnoOonl~_

Electricity coursed through her body again, and the damned beeping machine beeped more. The woman screamed, long dark brown hair stained with blood and matted with sweat. Her throat was raw, and shook when the jolts drew screams from the corners of her mind. Her mind was blank, except for the anticipation of her next jolt and next scream. She had no memory. She could have been there any length of time. Eternity to just woke up. She didn't know. As she prepared for the next shock, she squeezed her eyes shut. Then… Then… She opened her eyes. She waited another second to be sure, not daring to believe, but then… Nothing! Even the beeping stopped. She looked around, and heard a small clank. Light- more than she could ever remember- rushed into the room, and sought out every inch of the cell. She groaned and clenched her eyes shut. The light hurt, but the cool wind that blew across her body felt heavenly. She moaned again, this time out of pleasure, as the breeze tickled across her skin. Footsteps pervaded her blissful reverie, and so did a voice.

"Hello there." The voice was silken and smooth compared to the woman's tortured screams. She squinted against the light, and slowly the voice's owner came into focus. It was an older man, maybe forties to fifties. His brown hair was receding and thinning, but the black jacket was immaculate, displaying no signs of age or wear. He was smiling kindly, and so did she. He stroked a strand of stiff hair from her forehead. "What do you remember?" She thought for a minute.

"No, I don't." He smiled sadly.

"How about I take you out of here, and you- in return- do something for me?" She didn't even have to think.

"Yes. Just please-" Her voice broke. She swallowed painfully. "Please take me away from here." The man stroked her hair gently. A memory tugged at the edge of her mind, tickling and aggravating. She couldn't quite grasp it, but the simple act triggered something.

"Okay. I will have some men come and help you. We will meet again…" The man paused at the door, and looked back. "Natalia." Then he was gone, like a black-coated spectre.

_~lnoOonl~_

**Okay, that's the new chapter of the new Silver Guardians. To the Fan, all OC's will reappear in this story, along with some new ones. Please submit them, I know it's hard, but please. This is Petrous, signing out.**


End file.
